I hope I got the engagement ring installed correctly when I put in the sye. I see that the larger end on it is swapped on the two case halfs (the ring that the shift fork moves to engage 4wd) Can anyone confirm if it is installed correctly on the short shaft case or on the factory slip yoke case??? I am referencing the length of the sholder from the fork area on the the two. One side has a longer sholder then the other. I do know that the drive ring is not fully engaged on the short shaft one. At one point or another both of them were removed and I didn't snap a picture of it in the 231 before I pulled the shaft and it flopped to the floor.

Haynes manual was no help as the picture does not illustrate the sholders. I also had no luck looking at SYW installs as non of them showed the relationship of the drive gear and shift fork placement.

I do know that the case was set in 4low during the install and I dropped it into 2wd after I was done and was able to turn the front shaft freely to reinstall the front d shaft.

I haven't filled the case so maybe it will be time for round 3 of removing the halves if I can get conformation on sholder placement.

It will go on just as easily in both directions and since they both hit the floor I was unsure which direction it was originally installed. Hopefully someone soon will open up their stock 231 and snap a picture of which direction the larger sholder faces.

You can see that the drive gear goes on both ways just fine. What it will change is the relationship to the shift fork when in the different selector locations. It will add or subtract appx. 2/16 from the location vs the relationship of the larger sholder.

Small sholder 7/16" from edge of shift fork
Large sholder 9/16" from edge of shift fork

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/2967/img0540mediumfh3.th.jpg (http://img57.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0540mediumfh3.jpg)

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/3786/img0541mediumob2.th.jpg (http://img235.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0541mediumob2.jpg)

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/3786/img0541mediumob2.th.jpg (http://img235.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0541mediumob2.jpg)

I just opened my 231 a couple days ago and took some pictures. Send me an email and I'll send them your way.

Paul
paul@jeepshots.com

Thanks much appreciated. I was going to do the same until I pulled the halves and the drive gear fell on the floor.

The wider sholder goes to the inside of the case. The short faces the yoke end.

Got it!! Thanks

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/5364/np231mediumtx5.th.jpg (http://img73.imageshack.us/my.php?image=np231mediumtx5.jpg)